The error code 0x800CCC0E is an Outlook error that appears while using either Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. The error message hampers your ability to send and receive emails.
Solution
Error Causes
0x800CCC0E Outlook error code is triggered by multiple reasons including:
Improper connection with SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server
Damaged files
Registry corruption
In most cases, it’s the registry that gets corrupted which leads to the occurrence of 0x800CCC0E error code display. This typically happens when you try to update your Outlook/Outlook Express version.
When updating, you need to remove all the software files of the previous Outlook version which includes the registry too. If the files are not removed from the registry, the new version update will often fail. The junk files of the old version are likely to damage and corrupt the registry.
Further Information and Manual Repair
It is advisable to repair the error code 0x800CC0E right away to avoid inconvenience and system failure and fatal crashes which can lead to valuable data loss.
Cause: Improper connection with SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server
Solution: If the cause of the 0x800CCC0E is SMTP server connection failure, then the best way to resolve the error is to reconfigure your email account settings. Make sure that port 25 is being used in the SMTP area. Port 25 is the standard outgoing mail port.
If the SMTP setting is on port 25 then another reason for the error 0x800CCC0E can be your anti-virus or firewall software enabled on your PC. Turn it off for a moment and then try sending emails from your Outlook.
Cause: Damaged Files and Registry Corruption
Solution: If the error code is triggered due to registry corruption and file damage, then the best way to resolve it is to download Restoro.
Restoro is a safe, efficient, and highly functional inbox cleaner and a system optimizer embedded with numerous powerful utilities designed to repair multiple PC-related errors including the error code 0x800CCC0E when triggered by registry corruption.
This cutting inbox cleaner scans your PC entirely and detects all the unnecessary and malicious files saved in your system’s registry like junk files, internet history, invalid entries, and files of the uninstalled programs. These files take up most of the registry disk space thus causing the registry files to get damaged and corrupt and triggering error codes like 0x800CCC0E.
With the help of Restoro, you can easily wipe out all such files from your system in just one click. After scanning for errors all you need to do is click the repair tab to make your registry disk clutter-free.
Once the clutter is removed, update the new version of the Outlook/ Outlook Express again on your system and then try sending emails. You’ll see two noticeable differences after repairing your PC with Restoro.
One is that you will be able to install the new version and send emails smoothly from your Outlook account without any 0x800CCC0E error pop-ups. And the second difference you’ll see is the change in your PC performance. This tool optimizing your PC speed and reduces boot time.
This tool is very simple and easy to use. It has a neat design layout and a user-friendly interface which makes it easy for all levels of users to use Restoro smoothly with zero complexity. In just a few clicks the error message 0x800CCC0E is resolved. What makes this tool a favorite among users is that it does not require any skills or technical know-how.
To get started here’s what you need to do:
Click here to download Restoro software on your PC
Once the download is complete, run it to scan for 0x800CC0E error
After the scanning is successfully complete, click on the Repair button to fix the error right away.
Then install the new version of Outlook/ Outlook Express again on your system
If you are trying to open a folder or run a program or delete a file but you encounter an error message instead saying, “Error (740), The requested operation requires elevation” on your Windows 10 computer, then this post should help. Make sure that you follow each one of the options given below carefully.
Option 1 – Always run the program as an administrator
There are some apps that require administrator privilege before they can be opened. So if you are got the “Error (740), The requested operation requires elevation” error when you try to open a particular app on your computer, you have to try opening it as administrator instead. On the other hand, if you are already using an administrator account or if you are a member of the administrator group, this option may not work for you so just proceed to the next one but if you’re only using a regular account, then follow these steps:
First, right-click on the app you are trying to open and select Properties.
After that, go to the Compatibility tab and check the checkbox labeled “Run this program as an administrator”.
Next, click the Apply and OK buttons and see if the app opens without any problem.
Option 2 – Try to change the folder permissions
If you encounter Error 740 while opening a folder, then you need to try changing the folder permissions.
First, right-click on the folder and click Properties.
Next, go to the Security tab and click the Advanced button.
After that, check the checkbox labeled, “Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object” and then click the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes made.
Option 3 – Try disabling UAC
The User Account Control or UAC settings might be the one that’s responsible for Error 740 which is why you have to disable the User Account Control and then verify if it’s the one that triggers the error or not. To do that, simply search for “Change user account control settings” in the Taskbar search box and then drag the blue bar down to the bottom and click the OK button to save the change made.
Option 4 – Select the Elevate without prompting option in the Group Policy Editor
There is an option in the Group Policy Editor which allows you to disable the UAC prompt. Disabling the “Elevate without prompting” option can help in resolving Error 740 and to disable it, follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “gpedit.msc” in the field and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
Next, navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options
From there, go to the Security Options folder where you can find a policy named “User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode”. Double click on it to open its options.
Now select the Elevate without prompting option from the drop-down menu and click OK.
If you were trying to copy, move modify or delete a folder or a file in your computer but you’re not able to do so and encountered an error instead that says, “Could not find this item, This is no longer located in <path>, Verify the item’s location and try again”, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will guide you on how you can fix this error.
You can encounter this error when you delete, rename, open or copy a certain file which is often created by third-party software and lacks important information like file format, and so on. Although you can see these files in File Explorer, you might not be able to perform some operations in them. To fix this problem, you need to check out the given suggestions below.
Option 1 – Try to rename the file via Command Prompt
If you were trying to rename the file but unable to do so, you can achieve that by executing a command in Command Prompt. Make sure to follow the steps carefully.
Type in “Command Prompt” In the Start menu to search for it or you could also click the search button right next to the Start menu and then right-click on the related result and select the option “Run as administrator” to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Next, type in “cd” followed by the path where the file is located with this format – “C:/Folder1/Folder2/Folder3”. However, you have to omit the problematic file this time. To put it simply, the last folder in the command must be the folder where the file is located.
After inputting the command, press Enter on your keyboard and then use the set of commands given below. Note that each command is a new line so you need to tap Enter after copying each line.
DIR /A /X /P
RENAME (the current name of the problematic file) (a non-problematic name)
EXIT
Note: Make sure that you only input the current name and the new name separated by a space. You must not write the brackets in the command. If everything goes well, you will now be able to operate the file like you used to before.
Option 2 – Try to delete the file using Command Prompt
On the other hand, if you were trying to delete the file instead of renaming it, you can execute another command in Command Prompt.
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges like what you did earlier.
Once you’ve opened Command Prompt, copy and paste the command given below and tap Entre after you do so. You also have to make sure that you key in the correct path where the file is located as well as its name.
rd /s \?X:badfolderpath
Note: In the command above, “X” is the placeholder letter so you must input the letter that corresponds to the drive’s letter where the file is located.
After that, you will see the “Operation completed successfully” message on your screen. If you don’t, check if you’ve really inputted the correct location of the file or its name.
Option 3 – Delete the file without any extension
If the file you were trying to delete does not have an extension, this means that Windows does not know what to do with this file which is why it’s throwing an error message. The best thing to do in such cases is to delete the file especially if it takes up a lot of memory. To delete these kinds of files, here’s what you have to do:
Follow the first two steps from the previous option above so you can navigate to the location of the file accurately just be careful in inputting the folders.
Don’t forget to tap Enter right after each command and then use the next command below so you can delete the affected file which has no extension:
del *.*
After you’re done, open the File Explorer and then check if the file is now deleted or not.
Error 400 is a bad request error that displays in the internet browser like a web page. It pops up when the web page you’ve requested cannot be found. Error 400 may be displayed in one of the following formats on the computer screen:
‘400 Bad Request’
Bad Request - Invalid URL"
"HTTP Error 400 - Bad Request"
"Bad Request. Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.”
"HTTP Error 400. The request hostname is invalid."
"400 - Bad request. The request could not be understood by the server due to malformed syntax. The client should not repeat the request without modifications."
Solution
Error Causes
Error 400 can be generated due to multiple reasons. These include:
Wrong URL
Browser cookies
Outdated DNS cache
Though this error code is not fatal like the blue screen of death and runtime errors nonetheless it is still advisable to fix it to access your desired website without any inconvenience.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Here are some of the best ways to fix error 400 on your PC without any professional help. Try these methods to resolve error 400:
Method 1
This might come to you by surprise that the most common cause for a 400 Bad Request error is because the URL of the website was typed wrong.
So, first things first make sure the URL you’ve inserted is correct. If the URL typed is correct, then try other methods illustrated below.
Method 2
Sometimes error 400 may pop up due to outdated DNS records. DNS cache stores the location (IP addresses) of web servers that contain pages that you’ve viewed recently.
You are unable to access the site if the location of the webserver changes before the entry in your DNS cache updates. If this is the error cause then simply clear your DNS cache to resolve.
Follow these steps to clear the DNS cache on Windows 8.
Press Win+X to open the WinX menu.
Now ‘right click’ on command prompt and select RUN as Administrator. Enter the following command:
ipconfig /flushdns
If the command was successful, you will see the following message:
Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
This method will hopefully repair error 400 on your computer screen.
Method 3
Another reason for error 400 can be browser cookies. Many sites report error 400 when a cookie it reads is corrupt or too old. In such a situation it is advisable to clear your browser cookies.
You can do it manually but it can be time-consuming virtually because the steps involved in deleting cookies differ considerably depending on what web browser you’re using.
So, to avoid the hassle it is advisable to download Reimage to remove browser cookies immediately. This is a user-friendly PC Fixer deployed with a powerful registry cleaner.
It removes all obsolete and unnecessary files from your PC including junk files, internet history, and cookies in seconds.
Click here to download Restoro.
By default inside Windows 11 in File Explorer, once the file is selected, the small check box will appear beside it on left indicating visually that the file is selected. Older users will remember this feature from old Windows Vista and the feature itself is great if you are on some sort of touch device and need to select multiple files.
However, if you are working on a computer with a keyboard and mouse this feature might annoy you and seem like something that is not needed. Like many things inside Windows 11 this feature also can be customized and turned OFF if you do not want it.
In this guide, we will see how to turn these boxes off. Microsoft has somewhat hidden this feature but luckily it is not difficult to find it if you know where to look.
Turning check boxes OFF
Open File Explorer (if you do not have an icon on your Taskbar, right-click on the Start button and select File Explorer from the menu)
Click on View on the top toolbar
Select Show
Uncheck Item Check Boxes
That is everything that needs to be done, after the checkbox is unchecked all check boxes from File Explorer will disappear. If you wish to turn boxes back ON, just follow the steps and check the box beside Item Check Boxes.
Download the nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.tar.gz file to the Desktop.
To install the Autodesk Network License Manager:
Double click on nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.tar.gz to unpack the installer package.
After unpacking nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.pkg, will be /Downloads/adlm/FLEXnet folder.
Double click on nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_mac_universal.pkg to start installation and follow the installation wizard.
The license server will be installed in /usr/local/flexnetserver/ directory.
Change permissions for /usr/local/flexnetserver/ directory to 777
Open Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/Terminal) and enter the following command:
sudo chmod -R 777 /usr/local/flexnetserver
Note: Administrator password may be asked. While typing no characters are shown, just type out the password and hit return key.
Note: To start the license server only with elevated permissions (using sudo command), change permissions to 755 instead of 777.
Create /usr/local/flexnetserver/licenses directory for network license file location
sudo mkdir /usr/local/flexnetserver/licenses
Find the license server Host Name and Host ID.
Generate the Network License File in the Autodesk Account
Once the license file is generated, make sure it has a .lic extension (e.g. adsk_license.lic) and is in a plain text format and place it in /usr/local/flexnetserver/licenses directory
Note: In this article we will refer to adsk_license.lic as network license file name. Feel free to change the actual name of the license file, but make sure to reflect the new name when using the commands below.
Create a debug.log file in the /usr/local/flexnetserver/ directory using the following command:
touch debug.log
To start the Network License Server use the following command:
To configure the license manager use the following steps:
Download Autodesk Network License Manager v. 11.16.2 for Linux from this link
Download the nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_linux64.tar.gz file to your desktop.
To install the Autodesk Network License Manager run following command as root.
tar –zxvf nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_linux64.tar.gz
rpm -vhi nlm11.16.2.0_ipv4_ipv6_linux64.rpm
The license server will be installed in /opt/flexnetserver/ directory.
Find the license server Host Name and Host ID
To obtain the license server system hostid run the following command
/opt/flexnetserver/lmutil lmhostid
From the command output note the hostid in quotes, if the system has two active NIC cards, select the first MAC address.
lmutil - Copyright (c) 1989-2018 Flexera. All Rights Reserved.
The FlexNet host ID of this machine is "000c297949e0"
To obtain the license server system hostname run the following command
/opt/flexnetserver/lmutil lmhostid hostname
From the command output note the hostname of the license server.
mutil - Copyright (c) 1989-2018 Flexera. All Rights Reserved.
The FlexNet host ID of this machine is "HOSTNAME=Centos7.localdomain"
Generate your Network License File in Autodesk Account
Once the license file is generated, make sure it has .lic extension (e.g. adsk_license.lic) and place it in /opt/flexnetserver/licenses directory. If the directory doesn't exits, create it with this command: sudo mkdir /opt/flexnetserver/licenses
Note: in this article we will refer by adsk_license.lic your network license file name.
/opt/flexnetserver/lmutil lmstat -a -c /opt/flexnetserver/licenses/adsk_license.lic
To stop your license server service
/opt/flexnetserver/lmutil lmdown -q -force
alternatively you can also run ps command to obtain process ids for lmgrd and adskflex and then kill those processes
ps -aw | grep lmgrd
ps -aw | grep adskflex
kill -9 (provide process ids obtained by previous commands individually)
To start the license server automatically after the system reboot
Open /etc/rc.d/rc.local script as root and enter license server start up command in it.
touch /var/lock/subsys/local
/opt/flexnetserver/lmgrd -c /opt/flexnetserver/licenses/adsk_license.lic -l /opt/flexnetserver/server_log.logNote: To ensure that the script will be executed during boot, run following command as root.
chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.local
Make sure that all necessary ports are open:
lmgrd.exe needs ports 27000 to 27009.
adskflex.exe needs port 2080.
Note: Errors may occur if the network license file is corrupt or in the case of a combined network license it has incorrectly combined licenses. To learn more about combining licenses, see Combining License Files for Multiple Autodesk Products. Use the License File Parser to verify that the license contains the appropriate products and FLEXnet feature codes and does not display an error
Verify that TCP ports (2080, 27000-27009) used by Autodesk Network License Manager are not blocked by Firewall.
The FLEXlm® based version uses the following incoming ports:
TCP ports 2080 (for the adskflex vendor daemon)
TCP ports 27000 to 27009 (for the lmgrd master daemon, which uses the first open port in the range)
Note: If these port addresses are restricted by a router or firewall software, users on the remote side of the router will not have access to licenses controlled by the Network License Manager.
Verify that the client computer is configured with the correct license server name or IP.
Windows:
Clear license server information from the system registry.
Type regedit in the Windows Search box and hit Enter key.
As the key is selected, in right panel ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE will be visible.
Right click on the key and delete it.
Specify the license server in ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE system variable
Go to Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System.
Select Advanced system settings.
On the System Properties dialog, click Environment Variables.
Under System Variables, click New.
Enter ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE for the variable name and 2080@SERVER_NAME _OR _IP for the variable value.
Note: the license server information most often is recorded in LICPATH.lic file and can be verified there too. ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE system variable supersedes LICPATH.lic. Thus, setting the system variable is preferable when this error is seen.
If the license server is on a VPN or a remote network set the FLEXLM_TIMEOUT environment variable:
Go to Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System.
Select Advanced system settings.
On the System Properties dialog, click Environment Variables.
Under System Variables, click New.
Enter FLEXLM_TIMEOUT for the variable name and 5000000 for the variable value.
Click OK to save the setting.
Note: if needed the variable value can be increased to 10000000.
Mac/Linux:
Specify the Autodesk Network License server information in $HOME/.flexlmrc file.
Use a text editor to create a flexlmrc.txt file and save it in Plain text format (In TextEdit on Mac: Format - Make Plain Text) on desktop.
The file content should look like this, except with the name or IP address of the license server.
ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=@SERVER_NAME _OR _IP
If the license server is on the same machine as the Autodesk software, use localhost as the license server name. Thus, the content of flexlmrc file could look like this:
ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=@localhost
Note: On firewall restricted network or when accessing the license server via VPN, need to include TCP port/s (usually 27000 or 2080) into Autodesk License Server service as follows: ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE=2080@SERVER_NAME _OR _IP
Once flexlmrc file is created move it to user's $HOME folder as follows:
Open a Terminal window
Type open ~ (Mac) or nautilus ~ (Linux) to open $HOME folder
Drag and drop flexlmrc.txt file from Desktop to the home folder.
To make the file a configuration file, rename it to .flexlmrc (please note . [DOT] in front of the file name) by running the following command:
mv flexlmrc.txt .flexlmrc (Mac)
mv flexlmrc .flexlmrc (Linux)
Verify that the license server information registered with the product is correct (versions 2020 and later only)
In versions 2020 and later, the license server information is registered with the AdskLicensing service running locally on the workstation. When changing to a new license server, the old server information may still be registered with AdskLicensing and result in the error above, if this is not appropriately updated.
See the below steps to solve this:
Click the Start menu and type cmd.
Right-click on the Command prompt and choose "Run As Administrator."
In the Command prompt, run the following command, followed by ENTER:
Raptor Lake, a new and upcoming Intel 13th generation CPU will break the 6GHz barrier for the first time ever in normal working mode, overclocked mode in Intel words will go as high as 8GHz. CPU will be 15% faster than Alder lake in single-threaded tasks and a stunning 41% faster in multi-threaded workloads.
The current world record for overclocking is 8.72GHz done with AMD FX-8370 and Intel is aiming at breaking that record with Raptor Lake, of course, this kind of extreme overclocking will require some top-of-the-line nitrogen cooling systems.
Raptor Lake will run on the current LGA 1700 socket, so you will not need to buy another motherboard for CPU and they will also be manufactured on a 10nm process which means that you will need to take care of cooling and power supply if they really go over 6GHz.
Mid-range Intel Core i5-13600K processor will come with 14 cores inside and 20 threads running at a maximum P-core frequency of 5.1GHz, while Core i7-13700K will have 16 cores and 24 threads and run on 5.3GHz max P-core frequency. Best i9-13900K will come packed with 24 cores, 8 of them will be P-cores, and the rest 16 are E-cores, and 32 threads. It will reach 5.4GHz frequency but it was stated it can go to 5.8GHz with Thermal Velocity Boost.
After this statement, we can clearly see that the 6GHz breaker CPU will probably be an i9 special KS variant. In other words, specially tested and picked existing i9 running at higher speeds as was with Alder Lake as well where normal i9-12900K ran at 5.2GHz while i9-12900KS was running at 5.5GHz.
Roblox is a very popular online game with millions of gamers playing it each day and as such it will naturally bring a lot of malware and attack on players trying to steal and exploit them for monetary gains. The latest attack and high-profile stealing of currency and assets happened exactly in Roblox.
Malicious activities have been reported to come from chrome extensions. So far 2 extensions have been identified that have hidden malware inside them but there could be more of them currently undetected. Extensions work as a front while in the back they mine user logins and other data in order to steal stuff from the Roblox platform.
To make things worse some of the malware is within long extensions like SearchBlox. The SearchBlox extension allows you to search quickly for other users if it was legitimate but has been compromised within the last month. There is evidence that people are stealing Roblox currency with the data gathered by the hidden backdoor in it.
SearchBlox extension is still Active in Chrome Web Store, with the primary listing still with the "Featured " badge. Google is actively removing malicious software from its storefront on a regular basis but this one still lingers in it.
If you or your kid have this Chrome extension installed, uninstall it right away and always be careful about which extension you install and give access to your system, keep them updated and check various blogs and article sites to inform yourself when a bad one is found.
Magcore.dll is a type of Dynamic Link Library. This file is associated with software developed by ArcSoft, a renowned multimedia application developer.
Magcore.dll consists of small programs that help load and run software developed by ArcSoft on your system smoothly.
This file virtually comes into function when you use certain audio and video features incorporated in ArcSoft programs for example ArcSoft Media converter.
However, you may experience Magcore.dll error code on when this DLL file fails to run and load programs. The error may hamper your ability to access ArcSoft programs on your system and cause you a great deal of inconvenience.
Magcore.dll error is often displayed in any one of the following formats:
“The file magcore.dll is missing”“MagCore.dll cannot be found”"Cannot find [PATH]magcore.dll"“This application has failed to start because MagCore.dll was not found. Reinstalling the application may fix the error.”
Solution
Error Causes
This DLL file is known to be prone to errors. MagCore.dll error occurs due to several reasons such as:
Missing or damaged MagCore.dll file
Hardware failure
Viral infection
Registry issues
If you experience MagCore.dll error on your system, it is advisable to fix it right away. Though it is not fatal, but if you don’t repair it, you may not be able to access practically all ArcSoft programs on your PC.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Here are some of the efficient and easy manual methods to resolve error MagCore.dll on your PC:
Method 1 - Scan and Remove Malware
MagCore.dll error can be triggered by viral or other malware infection. Malware can easily damage DLL files and masquerade as the MagCore.dll file. To resolve, simply download a powerful antivirus on your system.
Run it to scan your entire PC for viruses and remove them right away.
Method 2 - Update the Drivers for Hardware Devices
As we mentioned above the error may be related to hardware failure too. In times like these, it is advisable to update the drivers for hardware devices.
For example if you try to play a 3D video game and it fails to run showing you MagCore.dll error message, then simply try updating the drivers for your video card. Drivers can be updated in Windows by using a driver update wizard from within Device Manager.
Method 3 - Use System Restore to Undo Recent System Changes
After trying method 1 and 2, if the error code still persists, then it is opt for method 3.
Use Windows System Restore utility to undo recent system changes and bring your PC to its normal previous condition before the error occurred. To restore, simply go to the start menu, type System Restore.
Now click on System Restore and just pick a point in the past called a restore point to return important Windows files and settings.
Method 4 - Repair the Registry
If the underlying cause of the MagCore.dll error code is related to registry issues, then simply repair the registry. You can fix it manually but it is a little complicated and time-consuming. You may find it difficult if you are not a technical whiz.
Nonetheless to resolve and repair it in seconds, download Restoro. This is a powerful and a user-friendly PC Fixer embedded with a registry cleaner and several other highly functional scanners.
Run it to scan your entire PC for registry problems. The registry cleaner utility removes all bad and invalid entries, cleans up the registry space, and repairs the damaged files.
Click here to download Restoro and repair MagCore.dll error code on your PC.
Ever gotten an e-mail offer that seemed just a little bit too good to be true? Might’ve been a phishing attempt! These are everywhere and can come in many different forms.
So what’s phishing exactly, how can you detect it and how can you keep safe?
What is phishing?
Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is a type of cyberattack that tricks the user into trusting the source and revealing sensitive information. Fishing being the perfect analogy, the bait is a legitimate-looking site, e-mail or file and when you take a bite, your identity, banking information and much more can be revealed and stolen.
Some phishing attempts are incredibly obvious, others are super elaborate. Like with most types of malware, cybercriminals have become extremely well-versed in phishing and anyone can fall for it. To help you recognize and avoid it, we’ll take you through a couple of phishing types and give you tips on what to do if faced with them.
Phishing techniques
E-mail phishing
This is actually the most common type of phishing. A cybercriminal creates an e-mail containing stuff like attractive offers, legitimate-looking attachments or links and makes it appear as though it’s coming from a trusted source.
For example, it looks like it’s coming from your bank or your favorite retailer. The logo looks legit and the structure of the e-mail seems familiar, so you might get tricked into clicking on whatever clickable content is in it.
Unfortunately this exposes your device to malware that hands your data off to the hacker, who can decide what to do with it further.
SMS and social media phishing
Like the above example, you could be approached with lucrative offers or links via text messages or social media messages. Typically, the messages seem relevant to the user as they will be made to look like they’re related to apps or services you’re using.
Voice phishing
Voice phishing attacks are schemes that appear as though they’re coming from a credible number. Normally, you’ll get a call about something related to credit cards or taxes to get you into a state of worry, leading you to disclose personal information on the phone.
Spear phishing, whaling and BEC
Spear phishing normally targets specific individuals within a company who are likely to have access to sensitive data. Spear phishers spend time collecting information they can use to reach out to the individual looking as trustworthy as possible. They’ll typically lead with something relevant, for example mentioning an upcoming company event, and make a seemingly legitimate request.
Whaling is a more elaborate form of spear phishing, which targets people in even stronger positions such as executives or high-value individuals. The ultimate goal is to get them to transfer financial or other sensitive information that can be used to compromise the entire business.
BEC, or Business e-mail compromise, is a specific spear phishing technique carried out via e-mail. While there are many ways this is done, most commonly you’ll see instances where the phisher poses as a CEO or similar executive, or as a lower-level employee in specific positions (e.g. sales managers or financial controllers).
In the first situation, the impersonator reaches out to employees requesting them to transfer certain files or pay invoices. In the second situation, the phisher takes control of the employee’s e-mail account and sends false instructions to other employees in order to obtain data and information from them.
What can you do?
There are many ways you can be aware and spot a phishing attempt. Here are some tips:
Always check the sender’s address in your e-mails, even when they seem to come from a familiar source.
In any instance where payment information is requested, be very, very careful.
If you are receiving attachments you never asked for and definitely didn’t expect, better not click on them.
Beware of content that transmits a sense of urgency (sales deals, urgent updates to login credentials, etc.).
Bad spelling and grammar are usually a telltale sign of phishing.
Links that look shortened (e.g. Bit.ly) or just suspicious in general - if you have a bad feeling, do not click on them.
If you are receiving threats, you probably shouldn’t be clicking on anything in that message.
Always examine first-time senders in detail.
Block suspicious e-mail addresses, numbers and social media accounts.
If you are receiving a coupon for free stuff… You aren’t.
If you’re being asked to update your payment details by a service you use, such as Netflix, chances are it’s an impersonator.
Those are some of the ways to identify and prevent phishing attacks. However, sometimes phishers disguise themselves a little too well or a misclick happens and there you go - you’ve been exposed to malware.
This won’t happen if you invest in powerful protection software from the get-go, though. A good antivirus program like Bitdefender will keep you safe from becoming a victim of phishing scams. In fact, it will protect you from malicious attacks overall.
Be it your household or your business you’re concerned about, there are a bunch of different packages and options available, providing different kinds of cybersecurity services. That’s the only way you can ever really be sure you aren’t at risk of a digital attack.
Summary
Have you ever been targeted by phishers and didn’t know that’s what it was until you read this article? Many can relate. Protect yourself before it’s too late!